Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Smithfield
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Smithfield, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails that fix it frequently give out first. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Smithfield: what you get
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. Common reasons to book are a ridge or slope that dips and loose pots and cracked flaunching, on the roof space, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and gutters and downpipes.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in Smithfield might be any of these. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Smithfield (EC1V, EC1P, EC1R)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Smithfield
More services for Smithfield
Tips that help
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Smithfield
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
Buying a home or a new roof in Smithfield
Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. If your home in Smithfield is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Historic houses such as Dr Johnson's House, about 0.3 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around Smithfield goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Landlords with a home close to Farringdon station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. For an older house near a landmark such as St Bartholomew-the-Less, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Smithfield.
Smithfield is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Smithfield, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Smithfield is one of the places in Greater London we cover.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in EC1V, EC1P and EC1R work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. You’ll find Smithfield on the A1 and A4, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Smithfield: Farringdon (1 mile north), Blackfriars (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile south-west) and Clerkenwell (1 mile north). Further out, we also cover Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (4 miles south).
Around Smithfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to London Nautical School, Barts Health Archives and St Alban's Church of England Primary School, among other places. Other local landmarks include St Mary-at-Hill (1 mile south-east), Oriole pub (less than half a mile south-west) and Postman's Park (less than half a mile south-east). There is a railway station in Smithfield itself: Farringdon station. Nearby you’ll also find Montfichet's Tower (within half a mile south) and Postal Museum (within half a mile south-east). Green spaces nearby include Ludgate Hill and St. James's Park Lake.
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes an hour or two at most homes, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. In Smithfield, as in much of London, a good many properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when booking.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before we arrive
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Let us know about parking near the property
Booking a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Advice
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Questions from Smithfield
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Smithfield?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Smithfield is about 1 mile from the restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS. We check whether the address falls inside it, and if it does we apply for permission, which isn’t always given. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Smithfield?
It depends on the street. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
How soon is the report ready?
That depends on which survey you choose: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Do you work in Smithfield?
Yes. We survey roofs in Smithfield and the rest of Greater London. For a price, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather is not right.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. The report shows what needs doing first, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
For a price for your roof in Smithfield, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- An independent view of the roof
Read what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.